Students from every college feel the pressure of deciding amajor. Not only does the chosen major determine future jobopportunities, hiring markets and business connections, it can alsoaffect the scholarships and awards students receive.
But among the 50 majors and 70 concentrations offered at TheUniversity of Memphis, some students still don't fit within apre-determined degree path.
However, The U of M has found a way to meet those students'unique needs. Since 1975, The University has offered individualizeddegree programs for non-traditional students.
The University College, located in Brister Hall, provides a wayfor students to create a degree program to fulfill their needs.
Sophomore Kimberly Wall, 19, joined the University College'sindividualized degree student program after changing her majorthree times. Now she is devising a degree combining journalism andmarketing.
"I didn't feel right as a student in the business department,and I couldn't do just journalism. So I went to an informationsession and applied that day," she said. "I was so worried aboutnot being able to do what I wanted to do and was relieved when Ifound this program where my decisions came first."
Wall said she feels more comfortable with her major now becauseit brings together the classes she needs for her future plans.
"I want to be a real force in the media industry, especiallydealing with public relations and marketing, and I can't do thatonly learning one aspect of the industry," she said.
The University College offers other programs including paralegalstudies, commercial aviation, Judaic studies and fire preventiontechnology, but the individualized degree program is the mostchosen path in the University College.
Sara Williams, an academic advisor for the University College,said about half of their students, or 400, are forming individualprograms.
Many of University College's students are adult students,Williams said.
"They are adult students who are already in the work field andare creating a degree to tailor the needs for the company that theyalready work for," Williams said.
Williams said the rest of the students are looking for degreesthat no other department on campus offers, and some may beproducing a combined degree by bringing two disciplinestogether.
Williams generally administers the University Collegeinformation sessions. The next sessions are Sept. 5 at 3 p.m.,Sept. 18 at 12:30 p.m. and Sept. 29 at 5:30 p.m.
Like everything else, there are disadvantages to individualdegrees, like having to file a contract that sets a student'sclasses in stone, but Wall believes the good outweighs the bad.
"Well, the good thing is that you get out of foreign language,upper division math and some history, but you do have other classesthat you have to take like thematic studies," Wall said. "You alsohave to go through a whole contract process and do a specialproject, but it's worth it to know that you have been trained invarious things and can be hired by more diverse companies."
Teresa Diener, 25, a senior in the University College, advisesother students to join the program if they can't find what theywant in other majors. She created a degree in gender studies andplans to pursue her master's degree in fall 2004 in women'sstudies.
"It' s a great opportunity to decide what you study and tuneyour degree to fit you and what you plan to do," Diener said.
